Eileen Polzien

Eileen Polzien, age 80, of Mililani, Hawaii, died at St. Francis Hospice, Eva, Hawaii, on December 21, 2011.
Eileen was born in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, on March 19, 1931, daughter of Thomas Whalen and Ellen nee Dempsey Whalen. She attended Catholic schools, and in 1951, at age 20, graduated as an RN from a residence program at St. Joseph’s Hospital School of Nursing, Providence, Rhode Island. She also attended Boston College. Her nursing career included public health nursing in Boston and emergency room nursing in New York City, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles. She married Ronald Polzien in October, 1959.
The family moved to South Laguna Beach in 1966. Eileen worked as the ICU/CCU supervisor at South Coast Hospital in Laguna.
Eileen retired from nursing in 1979 and became an active volunteer at Laguna Beach High School and Art Affair.
In 1989, Ron was transferred by Ford Aerospace to Huntsville, Alabama, where they lived for five years.
Ron then retired, and they moved to Destin, Florida. Eileen volunteered as a teacher at Walton County Elementary School three years where she taught a class of children with learning disabilities.
In 1999, Ron and Eileen moved to Oahu, Hawaii, in order to be closer to son Mark and grandchildren Sean and Brian. After an initial stay in Haleiwa, they settled in Mililani to enjoy retirement in paradise.
Eileen was preceded in death by her younger brother, Thomas Whalen Jr. She is survived by the love of her life and husband of 52 years, Ron, and sons Joseph of Wisconsin, Mark of Hawaii, and Daniel of California. She is also survived by nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. A memorial service and celebration of Eileen’s life will be held at the Aliso Creek Inn and Golf Course, in Laguna Beach, on March 17, 2012, at 2:00pm.